SYRIA
The United Nations remains alarmed about the safety and protection of over 3 million civilians in Idlib in Syria as well as the surrounding areas, over half of whom are internally displaced. This is following ongoing reports of airstrikes and shelling. Between 31 January and 2 February, at least 25 communities were reportedly affected by artillery shelling, while 47 communities were reportedly impacted by airstrikes. And since 1 December, over half a million people have been displaced due to the hostilities and around 80 per cent of these people are women and children.
The World Health Organization reported today that at least 53 health facilities suspended services in January due to the ongoing insecurity as well as threats of attacks, or as areas were deserted by civilians fleeing violence. 
In a statement issued over the weekend the Spokesman expressed the Secretary-General’s deep concern at the ongoing military escalation in northwest Syria and his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. The Secretary-General reaffirms that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including on healthcare and educational facilities, are unacceptable.
Military operations of all parties, including actions against and by designated terrorist groups, must respect the rules and obligations of international humanitarian law, which includes the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
The Secretary-General reiterates that there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict. The only path to stability is a credible and inclusive UN-facilitated political solution as laid out in the Security Council resolution 2254.
 
YEMEN
Today was the maiden voyage of the medical air bridge operation that brought a number of Yemeni patients out of an initial group of 30 along with their respective travel companions from Sanaa to Amman. The remainder of the first group of 30 patients will travel in a second flight while more patients will follow on subsequent flights.
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths as well as the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Lise Grande and the World Health Organization Representative in Yemen, Altaf Musani, all welcomed the launch of this medical air bridge operation.
The World Health Organization in collaboration with local public health and population authorities coordinated these flights. The medical air bridge flights come as part of the United Nations’ ongoing humanitarian assistance in Yemen, including providing support to the healthcare system.
Many UN entities and several governments in the region and around the world collaborated to get these patients the treatment they need abroad, and we are grateful to them all. The UN will do what it can to ensure the continuation of the medical air bridge as a temporary solution to reduce the suffering of the Yemeni people until a more sustainable solution is reached in the near future.
 
LIBYA
The 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Commission started its meeting under UN auspices at the UN office in Geneva today.
Five senior officers appointed by the Government of National Accord (GNA) and five senior officers appointed by the Libyan National Army (LNA) are participating in the talks, which are moderated by Ghassan Salamé, the Secretary-General’ Special Representative for Libya.
 
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
UN peacekeepers forced the UPC group, the Union for Peace armed group to abandon its position in the center of Alindao, and to end all circulation of its armed forces in the city.
The armed group also announced it will withdraw from Bambouti – the city it had occupied since November – and this will be done by Wednesday. In addition to the military pressure, the operation launched against the UPC continues on the political front, with the UPC required to stop its attempts to expand to other regions and to engage with the UN Mission and the government.
 
SAHEL
Today the UN Children’s Fund as well as the World Food Programme and the Food and Agricultural Organization warned that over the last year there has been a spike in the Sahel in the number of people lacking food and vital livelihood opportunities.
In a joint statement, the agencies [said] the spike was due to the rising insecurity and climatic shocks in the region leaving about 3.3 million people in need of immediate assistance.
The UN estimates that close to 4.8 million people in the Central Sahel will be at risk of food insecurity during the lean season which runs from June to August if no appropriate actions are taken urgently.
The agencies said they’re most concerned about the Central Sahelian countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, where conflict and its impact on communities have become the main cause of food insecurity.
 
LOCUSTS
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Somalia has now declared the desert locust outbreak a national emergency. The outbreak is threatening the food security of Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda with other countries also at risk.
Governments are conducting aerial and ground control operations and spraying pesticides to kill the large swarms, but their capacities are overstretched due to the speed of the spread as well as the scale of the infestation.
FAO is working with the governments impacted and has teams on the ground assessing damages and helping teams target the swarms.
Last month, FAO formulated an initial response plan asking for $70 million to address immediate needs. This was upgraded to $76 million to account for expanding the operation to Djibouti and Eritrea, and on 22 January, the Central Emergency Response Funds, released $10 million to support the pest control operations.
 
MEXICO
In Mexico, the UN Children’s Fund estimates that some 2,200 migrants and asylum seekers, including 700 children have been stranded in Matamoros near the U.S. border as they wait for their asylum cases to work their way through the U.S. court system.
UNICEF said that conditions on the ground are difficult because of insecurity and limited access to essential services. Many  families have been waiting there for weeks if not months.
More information online.
 
YOUNG LEADERS
The Secretary-General’s Youth Envoy launched its call for applications for the 2020 Class of Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals on Sunday, 2 February 2020.
 This initiative to recognizes and engages 17 exceptional young people who are leaders in the efforts to end poverty, combat climate change and reduce inequality.
 
PRESS BRIEFING TOMORROW
Tomorrow at 11 a.m., the Secretary-General will have a press conference to speak about his priorities for 2020.
 
HONOUR ROLL
Cabo Verde’s s payment to the regular budget arrived before the 30-day cut off date of 1 February. This brings the Honour Roll up to 35 fully paid up nations.